Five stunning spring plants


The starter course for spring colour in the garden Story and photos by Carla Hyrcyna


S spring


pring to a gardener is like honey to a bee. We eagerly wait for all winter. Garden-


ing books have been read, magazines have been scoured (evident by dog-eared pages), photos


clipped and notes


made. Just as making a gour- met meal, garden prepara- tion and planting includes a well thought out plan – like a recipe. Emphasis


is always placed


on summer and fall, leaving the early performing gardens somewhat overlooked, neglect- ed or underrated. Spring is the opportunity to be in the garden, cleaning and clear- ing, so why not create a spring garden filled with blooms so we can enjoy them during this season? Have you watched a spring garden unfurl


itself from a Trolllius Trollius, commonly known


as globe flower is a member of the Ranunculaceae family. Varieties include ‘Superba Yellow’,


‘Golden Queen’, and


‘Lemon Queen’. It is truly a favorite for spring bloom. Bright green foliage with palmated leaves are dressed with dancing yellow or ched- dar orange globe flowers remi- niscent of roses. Forsythia


Striking yellow blooms coat


the stems of this shrub from base to tips. Blooms burst forth prior to any signs of foli- age. Like the tulip, forsyth- ia may begin its blooming pattern with warming weather even when snow may still be evident. Forsythia v ‘Show Off’ spans five feet by five feet. Cushion spurge


winter’s rest? These plants have an uncanny ability to endure cool soils. Warm rays of sunshine through leaf-less tree canopies gently warm gardens nestled in shady areas, bringing life to early blooming plants that normally reside in shady loca- tions during the heat of summer. Early spring plants possess the endurance to grow in cool temperatures and produce blooms. It is these select varieties that enable a gardener to create a garden for all seasons, including the start of the season – spring. The colour pallet for early spring


generally is soft and delicate with shades of rose, yellows and blues. Bergenia


Bergenia, also known as elephant ears


or pig squeak, looks magnificent as the snow melts revealing their large lobed, waxy leaves, seemingly untouched by our winter’s cover. Slight brushing of its foliage quickly clears any show of winter damage. Bergenia waits patiently


www.localgardener.net Carla Hyrcyna surrounded by an abundance of spring colour.


for the first warming days to produce its early show of striking pink-to-rose drumstick blooms. Bergenia ‘Eden’s Dark Margin’ leaves have a darker colour to the foliage, emphasizing the contrast with their flowers. Larger clumps may be used as specimen plants but they also look spectacular when planted en-mass in shade to early- morning-light conditions. Brunnera.


From a distance some may think


the variegated brunnera look similar to hosta, but up close the differences are evident. Unlike hosta’s soft-ribbed leaves, brunnera has a fuzzy, brush-like texture to its heart shape. Patterns of silver overlay a crisp green color of these mounding plants. Different, too, is the bloom. Delicate airy clusters of minute sky-blue blooms are held on thin wisps of stem above the foliage. Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’, Perennial Plant of the Year 2012, is favourable to shady areas.


Euphorbia polychroma, known also as cushion spurge,


is an early mounded perennial plant with bright neon-yellow bracts at each branching tip. Topping off at a mature height of almost two feet, these plants perform best in a full sun location with good drainage. This plant liter- ally “glows” with color in our display gardens, encouraging visitors to repeat the question, “What plant is ….?” These are just a few of my top picks


for a spring garden – the starter course for spring color in the garden. Many more plants, such as repeat blooming irises and creeping phlox with bold blues and pinks add to any garden recipe. For an appetizing effect to complement your spring garden, plant a welcoming container for your front entrance with cool-loving plants such as


cyclamen, diascia, pansies paired


with ivies. Carla Hyrcyna is an owner of St. Mary’s


Garden Centre. She spent many years as a grower. q


Early Spring 2014 • 27 Early Spring 2014 • 27


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